Namgung Heavenly Demon - Chapter 35

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 35

A carriage cut through the morning air as it raced through the center of Hefei.

The sound of hoofbeats echoed rhythmically in time with the rattling movement of the carriage.

Baekheun sat on the driver’s seat, carefully holding the reins, while inside the carriage, Namgung Cheon sat with his eyes closed, deep in meditation.

And before they passed through the center of Hefei.

Namgung Cheon opened his eyes and spoke quietly.

“Stop for a moment.”

“Already taking a break? We haven’t even left Hefei yet.”

Mujin asked with a puzzled expression, but Namgung Cheon silently looked out the window.

His gaze was directed toward the entrance of a narrow alley with few people.

“I have somewhere to go briefly.”

Mujin tilted his head but didn’t ask any more questions.

There was always a reason for what Namgung Cheon did.

He shrugged his shoulders and stopped the carriage at the entrance of the alley.

“Understood. I’ll wait, so go ahead.”

“It won’t take long.”

Namgung Cheon got off the carriage and walked into the alley.

Namgung Cheon’s steps after getting off the carriage stopped in front of an old inn.

It was Chwiweoljeom.

Since it was early morning, the door was tightly closed.

But as soon as Namgung Cheon placed his hand on the door handle, the sound of a latch being undone came from inside.

As if they had known he would come.

Creak—.

The old hinges screamed as the door opened.

The interior of the inn was dark and gloomy with no light coming in.

Not a single customer or even a servant could be seen.

Only a single candle lit on the central table flickered precariously, illuminating the space.

And beyond that candlelight, a man was sitting.

‘It’s not Pyoyang.’

A middle-aged man in shabby hemp clothes dressed like an ordinary merchant.

But his eyes were anything but ordinary.

He didn’t stand up even when Namgung Cheon entered.

He simply continued fiddling with his teacup without stopping and spoke quietly.

“You’ve come to keep your promise.”

“That’s right.”

Namgung Cheon didn’t ask who he was.

A person worthy enough for Pyoyang, the Anhui branch leader of Haowen Clan, to give up his seat and offer the head position.

And a person who could receive the young master of the Namgung Clan so calmly.

There weren’t many such people in the world.

“I greet the Master of Haowen Clan.”

Namgung Cheon sat in the seat across from him without hesitation.

At his composure, the eyes of the Master of Haowen Clan, Cheonmein, narrowed.

A young master who saw through his identity at once yet showed no sign of intimidation.

He was just as the rumors said.

“You’re not surprised even knowing my identity.”

“If someone who sells information came looking on their own, it means they want a deal of equivalent value, doesn’t it?”

At Namgung Cheon’s answer, a faint smile appeared on Cheonmein’s lips.

He lifted his teacup, took a sip, then slowly set it down.

“That’s right. A valuable deal. I am a merchant, after all.”

Cheonmein’s gaze swept over Namgung Cheon.

“Let me be honest. I was curious about you.”

Cheonmein said.

“The series of incidents that occurred in Anhui. The destruction of the Bloodsword Sect, the negotiations with the Sable Alliance, and even the revival of Baekcheon Trading Company. You were at the center of all of it.”

He lightly tapped the table.

“It’s not something that can be done with force alone. Money alone won’t do it either. It’s only possible when you have force, strategy, and boldness all together.”

“You flatter me.”

“Do you think it’s flattery?”

Cheonmein’s eyes flashed sharply.

“I was looking for a place to invest. Not a rotting old tree, but a sapling that would grow to pierce the heavens.”

Even at Cheonmein’s words, Namgung Cheon said nothing and took out a thick envelope from his chest.

It was a large sum promissory note issued in the name of Baekcheon Trading Company.

It was payment for the information about the Sable Alliance’s Black Wind Division last time, and also the pretext for this meeting.

“This is the promised payment.”

Namgung Cheon placed the promissory note on the table.

Cheonmein glanced at the note.

It was a large sum.

But instead of reaching out to take the note, he pushed it back toward Namgung Cheon.

“…?”

When Namgung Cheon sent him a puzzled look, Cheonmein said.

“I won’t accept this money.”

“What’s the reason?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I came here to make an investment.”

Cheonmein leaned forward.

“And the right to use our information network whenever the young master wants, that is my investment.”

It was a groundbreaking proposal.

Haowen Clan, which had the eyes and ears of the world.

Being able to freely use their information network was a value that couldn’t be converted to money.

For Namgung Cheon, who was about to embark on his journey through the martial world, there could be no more reliable support.

But there was no such thing as kindness without a price in this world.

“What must I do in return?”

“Nothing for now.”

Cheonmein smiled meaningfully.

“However, when the young master becomes the owner of the vast world called Namgung in the future… or when you rise to an even higher place.”

His eyes deepened.

“Let our Haowen Clan see the light in that world. And when darkness tries to swallow our Haowen Clan, don’t abandon us. That would be enough.”

Namgung Cheon was silent for a moment.

Cheonmein’s proposal was attractive.

But it was also dangerous at the same time.

An alliance with Haowen Clan could be a blemish on the Namgung Clan, a prestigious orthodox family.

However.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

The corners of Namgung Cheon’s mouth turned up.

He had no intention of being bound by things like honor and missing out on practical benefits.

From the beginning, distinctions between orthodox and heterodox were meaningless.

Moreover, his goal was to reach the heavens.

If it helped on that path, he would use anything without discrimination, whether it was demonic arts or heterodox factions.

“Very well.”

Namgung Cheon answered.

The gazes of the two men met in midair.

It was the moment a silent contract was established.

The candle on the table flickered, casting long shadows of the two men.

Cheonmein took out a small jade token and a wooden case from his bosom and handed them to Namgung Cheon.

“Whether it’s an inn or a pleasure house, if you need Haowen Clan’s help, present the jade token. Then you’ll be able to meet a branch leader. And what’s inside the wooden case… read it for entertainment on your way.”

“What is it?”

“Information about the Yeongang Martial Arts Assembly and its participants.”

Namgung Cheon took the jade token and wooden case and rose from his seat.

“Thank you.”

He gave Cheonmein a light bow and turned around without hesitation.

No more lengthy words were necessary.

Since both had obtained what they wanted, that was sufficient.

Creak—.

The door closed, and silence returned to the inn once again.

Cheonmein looked at the closed door and lifted his teacup.

Though the tea had grown cold, its fragrance was still rich.

“Namgung Cheon…”

He muttered quietly.

“This might become the most meaningful investment in Haowen Clan’s history.”

Cheonmein emptied his teacup and disappeared into the darkness.

As if no one had been there from the beginning.

* * *

Northwest of Hubei, near Yangyang, called the gateway to Jingzhou, in Yungjoong.

Mist hung thickly between the mountain ranges surrounded by strange rocks like folding screens, and beyond that mist, ancient trees that had endured hundreds of years formed a forest.

The Jegal Clan, where the world’s greatest strategists gathered, was located deep within this forest, in the depths of Waryonggang.

The scenery was closer to a vast garden than a noble family estate.

Instead of splendid pavilions or imposing fortress walls, pavilions and towers that preserved the natural terrain were sparsely connected along the mountain slopes.

But behind that peaceful scenery lurked deadly dangers.

Even a single tree or rock concealed intricate mechanical formations, ensuring that anyone who set foot there without permission would be trapped forever.

That was the majesty of the Jegal Clan.

Among them, in the deepest part, stood a small separate building.

Waryongjeong.

A place that successive clan heads visited when making important decisions or falling into deep contemplation.

But for the past three months, this place had been thoroughly sealed.

Because a woman considered the future of the Jegal Clan had entered seclusion to study formations.

And today.

The firmly closed door of Waryongjeong finally opened.

Creak—.

As the door opened, a woman slowly walked out.

Jet-black hair neatly arranged in an updo, immaculate white silk robes.

Her jade-white skin appeared pale, perhaps from not seeing sunlight for a long time, but her eyes alone shone brilliantly.

She was Jegal Seoyeon, direct descendant of the Jegal Clan, called Hyeonbong in the martial world.

As soon as she crossed the threshold and emerged into the outside world, she pressed her hand to her forehead and frowned.

The pouring sunlight was piercing.

“Phew…”

A deep sigh escaped from her lips.

It was a sigh that carried more fatigue than relief.

She leaned against the railing and blankly looked up at the sky.

It was the first sky she’d seen in three months, but she felt no particular emotion.

After all, it would be no different from yesterday’s sky.

“Miss!”

Just then, a welcome voice came from below the pavilion.

Hong Cheong, her personal maid, was hurriedly climbing the stairs carrying a tea service.

Hong Cheong’s face showed a mixture of joy and worry.

“Are you alright? I was worried because you skipped meals and only focused on research.”

Jegal Seoyeon waved her hand and suppressed a yawn.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Her voice was utterly languid.

For someone called a genius of the world, she looked excessively listless.

But Hong Cheong, as if accustomed to this, calmly set down the tea service.

“It’s your first emergence from seclusion in three months! We need to inform the Head of the Clan and the Young Master, you need to receive overdue reports, and above all…”

Hong Cheong continued with sparkling eyes.

“You need to prepare for the Yeongang Martial Arts Assembly!”

“Ah, the Yeongang Martial Arts Assembly.”

Jegal Seoyeon frowned.

“Do I really have to go?”

She lifted a teacup and moistened her lips.

The Yeongang Martial Arts Assembly.

While it might be a lifelong dream and glorious occasion for others, to Jegal Seoyeon it was merely a bothersome affair.

The ranking system with Seven Dragon Peaks and such seemed ridiculous, and she had even less desire to watch people showing off to each other.

“This time is different. It’s an occasion where all the Seven Dragon Peaks gather… Moreover, the Head of the Clan earnestly requested that you must attend this time.”

Though Hong Cheong stamped her feet trying to persuade her, Jegal Seoyeon didn’t even pretend to listen.

She rested her chin on her hand and muttered while watching the carp in the pond.

“Can’t I just live quietly doing research?”

“Miss…”

Hong Cheong sighed and pulled out a thick bundle of letters from her bosom.

She had prepared a secret weapon knowing this would happen.

“The martial world situation is quite serious. There’s quite a bit of news that might interest you, Miss.”

“Interest? I doubt it. If it’s about the Northern Ice Palace Lord taking another concubine or the Green Forest fighting with water bandits, I’ll pass.”

“No. It’s news about the Namgung Clan.”

“Namgung?”

Jegal Seoyeon’s gaze turned toward Hong Cheong for the first time.

The Namgung Clan was where her aunt Jegal Hwa resided.

It was a place she had frequently visited in her childhood, as familiar as her own home.

“Is Brother Hwi showing off his talents again?”

She didn’t particularly like Namgung Hwi, the eldest son of the Namgung Clan.

Because the leisure that came from his perfection somehow didn’t sit well with her.

“No. It’s not about the eldest young master… It’s about the third young master, Young Master Namgung Cheon.”

“…Brother Cheon?”

Jegal Seoyeon’s languid eyes widened greatly.

Namgung Cheon in her memories.

A cousin brother with no presence.

A weak child who couldn’t fit in among his brothers and was always in the corner.

But Jegal Seoyeon remembered.

Something that had happened long ago.

At that time, she had played a mischievous prank wanting to show off her genius.

She had set up a complex formation in the rear garden to trap her cousins.

While other cousin brothers got lost and burst into tears or became angry, Namgung Cheon was different.

He neither cried nor panicked.

He simply walked out silently, very slowly but accurately finding the Gate of Life.

And the strange thrill he felt at that moment.

This was an instinctive sensation felt when encountering a genius similar to oneself.

“…Why that brother?”

“Recently there’s been chaos in Anhui. They say he’s called the Sword Ghost and goes around beating down the Heterodox Faction.”

“Huh?”

Jegal Seoyeon blinked her eyes.

Sword Ghost.

It was the most unsuitable nickname for that gentle brother.

Hong Cheong unfolded the letter and continued her explanation.

“He held martial competitions, annihilated the Bloodsword Sect, and miraculously revived the dying Baekcheon Trading Company.”

“…?”

Jegal Seoyeon opened her eyes wide and carefully read through the letter.

The letter contained detailed accounts of a series of incidents that had occurred in Anhui.

The sword residence, martial competitions, proxy wars using Jinquanpa as a front.

And the transcendent realm that supported all this…

“What? Transcendent realm?”

Right, the part about using his brain.

Up to this point, it made sense.

Since he inherited the blood of Jegal Hwa, his aunt, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be clever.

But.

“Isn’t this wrong? Transcendent realm? And martial competitions?”

She blinked a few times and checked the contents once more.

She hadn’t seen it wrong.

“Isn’t this incorrect?”

But Hong Cheong firmly shook her head.

“This content was personally verified by Shim Hyeon, the Master of the Profound Mystery Hall.”

Shim Hyeon, the Master of the Profound Mystery Hall.

The one who oversees the eyes and ears of the Jegal Clan, where all the secrets of the world gather.

If he had personally verified it, this information was undoubtedly true.

Jegal Seoyeon couldn’t close her mouth.

“…Transcendent realm.”

Being smart, she understood. That was the realm of talent.

But martial arts were different.

The transcendent realm wasn’t a domain that could be reached through talent alone.

It was a level that required bone-grinding time, fortuitous encounters, and enlightenment.

But that gentle brother, and at such a young age?

“Even if the world is full of extraordinary individuals, who would have thought it would be Brother Cheon.”

Jegal Seoyeon let out a hollow laugh.

And she recalled something from long ago.

“As expected.”

Jegal Seoyeon snapped the letter shut.

Her eyes gleamed brightly.

A compelling reason to attend the Yeongang Martial Arts Assembly, which she had thought would only be filled with boredom, had emerged.

“Prepare, we leave immediately.”

Jegal Seoyeon sprang up from her seat.

Her boredom had completely vanished.

“What? Without even greeting the Head of the Clan?”

“Is that important right now?”

Jegal Seoyeon’s gaze turned toward the distance.

“I need to go and confirm. Whether what I saw was a mistake or…”

Whether the beast that had been holding its breath had finally bared its fangs.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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